Blackout
by BlackSwanGirl
Summary: It was dark. People were yelling. But certainly no one was singing. Because in this story, the Blackout was real life. Rated T for minor language.


Usnavi heard Spanish yells. He called, "Blackout, Blackout!" But he wasn't sure why. Maybe to warn others.

He repeated it, and this time everyone seemed to respond.

"Oh no!" People were chorusing.

He heard someone calling, "Nina where'd you go? I can't find you! Nina take it slow, I'm right behind you!" But there was no reply from Nina.

"What's going on? What's going on?" Sonny yelled from what seemed like miles away.

Usnavi felt shoving. "Yo! I-can't-see! Quit shoving you son of-" he decided their were better things to yell about. "It's an oven and we gotta back out, this is a blackout, chill for real or we're gonna get killed!"

He heard Sonny again. He seemed to be talking to himself. "Suddenly I find the electricity is gone!"

Someone yelled, "calling all taxis!"

Sonny yelled again. "What's going on? What's going on?"

At the same time, Usnavi yelled, "everyone relax please." He thought he heard another voice.

"Calling all taxis!"

"I gotta guard the store make sure that nothing's going wrong!"

"Oh no!"

"Oh no!"

Usnavi repeated himself. "Everyone relax please!"

Benny yelled again. "Somebody better-open these goddamn doors!"

He heard Vannesa's sweet voice. "Somebody better open these GODDAMN DOORS!"

Not so sweet anymore.

"What's going on? What's going on?"

"Somebody better open these goddamn doors!"

"I can't find Usnavi!"

Usnavi heard Vannesa and Sonny's screams.

"Vannesa!" He yelled. "Vannesa! Vanessa!" He remembered Abuela. "I gotta go..."

Benny was yelling again. "Nina where'd you go? Nina where'd you go? Nina where'd you go? I can't find you!"

Usnavi repeated himself.

"Anyone seen Benny? Benny..."

Usnavi ran, not hearing Vannesa's cry of "Usnavi help me..."

Kevin ran by. "Please find Nina. Find Camila! If you see my family bring them home!" He yelled at anyone who went by.

"We are powerless. We are POWERLESS!" Sonny yelled, as if just realizing it.

"Find my way home...Usnavi help me!"

"You left me alone!"

Everyone seemed to be yelling now. "We are powerless! We are POWERLESS!"

Graffiti Pete grabbed Sonny and pulled him near the store grate.

"Yo!" He said a quick greeting. "They throwin' bottles in the street! People lootin' and shootin'. Sonny...they wanna see a robbery. We gotta keep movin'!"

Sonny wrestled himself from Pete's grip. "Naw, man! I can't leave. We gotta guard the store!"

"They gonna bombard the store! Until you ain't gotta a store no more!"

Sonny shook his head. "I gotta base ball bat on a rack in the back!"

Pete gave in. "I gotta couple of Roman candles...we can distract the vandals."

Sonny spotted dark figures. "Hey, yo, I see some thugs comin'...man, we gonna get jacked up!"

Graffiti Pete shook his head. "Gimme a light. I'll be right back. Back up! Back up! Back up!"

Pete sent fireworks up in the sky. Everybody stopped to stare.

People were chorusing, yelling. "Look at the fireworks!"

"The fireworks!"

"Fly!"

"Light up the night sky..."

"Light up the night sky!"

Sonny was on the verge of tears. "Its late and this grate won't come down!" He turned to the grate. "Come down!"

Carla was alone on the street, speaking to herself.

"Oh god. So much panic! The crowd was manic!" She started counting off her fingers. "With everybody screaming and shoving and shouting and slapping and everyone's frantic!" Usnavi ran by. "What's happening with you?"

People were yelling again. "We are powerless! Look at the fireworks! We are POWERLESS! Light up the night sky..."

Usnavi had arrived at Abuela's house, finally.

He sat down to comfort her. "Abuela, are you all right?"

"The stars are out tonight..." was Abuela's only reply.

"You're not alone tonight."

"I'm not alone tonight!"

She turned to him seriously, holding a wad of cash. "Usnavi, Please promise me you'll guard this with your life."

Usnavi stared at it. "Abuela! I've never seen..."

They both said, "this much money in my life!"

Meanwhile, Benny and Nina finally found each other.

"Nina there you are!" Benny yelled with relief. "I'll get you out of here tonight."

Nina glared at him. "I don't need anything tonight!" "I...can find my way home-"

"Find you're way home?!"

"Without you!"

"Without you!" They both said, as if realizing 'without you' wasn't possible.

People were still yelling. Music was playing in Nina's head. It rose up until it mounted to the climax as she raced forward Benny.

They smacked into each other and their lips met.

He's mine, she thought giddily.

And the last firework exploded overhead as people k ew everything was going to be okay...

"In Washington Heights."


End file.
